Apostille Services: $200.00

In the modern world, countless documents are signed and sent between countries, many of them notarized or including the signature of some other public official. The challenge for individuals receiving the documents is knowing whether the Notary’s signature is legitimate.

An apostille is a certificate issued by a government agency verifying the authenticity of the signature of a Notary Public or other public official. In other words, an apostille confirms that the seal and signature of the Notary on a document is valid, and the notarization can be accepted by the receiving agency in the foreign country.

They are specifically used for documents going to the 156 countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents sent to countries that are not part of the Hague Convention may require additional certification from the U.S. Department of State.

Requests for an apostille or authentication certificate are generally submitted in writing to your state's Secretary of State’s office from which the document originated, and should contain:

• An explanation of why the apostille or authentication is needed.
• The original document, including the Notary’s completed notarial certificate.
• The final destination of the document.
• A postage-paid return envelope addressed to either the document custodian or the document’s final destination.
• The required fee (varies by state). 

The commissioning office determines whether the document requires an apostille or authentication certificate, based on the document’s final destination.